Life's Little Transformations
by Tungsten117
Summary: The story of how Sam's life changed after he met the Transformers and the events that he shared with them.
1. The Day After

Note: I was looking over my story "Coming Clean" and decided that I wanted to add a lot more to it. So I started writing and I got this. Eventually "Coming Clean" will be put into this story with a few changes added. Then so more will come after it. Hope you enjoy.

Story set between the first and second films.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Transformers or anything else in this story. I only own the plot.

The Day After

Sam and Mikaela stood together in the middle of a military base. It would have been strange enough for a passerby to see two teenagers sanding in the middle of a top secret military base. The fact that they were surrounded by four gigantic robots made it odd. What made it bizarre was that the two teenagers were calm around the giant metal behemoths. Most people would have been running and screaming the moment that they laid eyes on them.

A small group of humans approached the two humans and four Autobots. At the lead was the Secretary of Defense, John Keller. Slightly behind him were the two military men Robert Epps and William Lennox. Bringing up the rear was the Sector Seven agent Seymour Simmons who was scowling at the Autobots.

Simmons didn't care what everyone else said. He didn't trust these Autobots one bit. It did not matter that the Autobots fought to save humanity and vowed to never intentionally harm a human. It did not matter that Jazz had died or that Optimus Prime nearly gave his life to destroy the All Spark. Simmons firmly believed that the Autobots were no better than the Decepticons. Sure, they had fought to protect humanity but Simmons believed that was a ploy to gain the trust of humans. Once they got it the Autobots would probably do what the Decepticons failed to do; either destroy or enslave humanity. But he, Simmons, would never allow that to happen. First chance he had he would destroy the Autobots or die trying.

When both groups came together silence fell. The damage marks of yesterday's battle were still fresh upon everyone. The humans bore cuts, scratches, and bruises. The Autobots also bore scrapes and scratches as well as dents and in the case of Bumblebee no legs. The Autobot rested on the back of the tow truck that Mikaela had used to drive him around in Mission City.

Keller was the one who broke the silence. He looked up into Optimus Prime's face. "Uh, Mister I wanted to ask you a question. If it is to, uh, personal you don't have to answer it."

Optimus stared down at the clearly intimidated human. "You do not have to call me 'Mister'. Optimus Prime is my name. Optimus or Prime will also do. You may go ahead and ask your question."

"What are you planning to do with the body of your fallen comrade? In fact, what should we do with the other dead robots?"

"Jazz…" Optimus murmured. He turned to stare at the tarp that covered the severed body of his first lieutenant. Ironhide, Ratchet, and Bumblebee stared silently too. The Autobots could not show emotions they way humans could but it was clear to every human present that the Autobots grieved greatly for their fallen friend. Mikaela put her hand on Bumblebee's arm clearly trying to comfort him. After a few moments of silence Optimus replied, "The Decepticons and Megatron should be put somewhere on your planet that would be hard for a Cybertronian to get to. We do not breathe like you do so a place of great height would not be suitable. A place where there are massive amounts of pressure would do. We will take Jazz."

"Right," Keller said. "I shall let the President know what should be done." With a slight nod to Optimus, Keller left the group followed by a reluctant Simmons who glared at anyone who looked his way.

"Why is Simmons so pissed?" Mikaela asked.

"Well, it seems Keller wasn't happy about how he treated you kids and Optimus. A lot of military big boys aren't happy either. They are trying to get Sector Seven disbanded. Simmons is not happy about that. Blames you two and the Autobots for what is happening," Lennox replied.

"Poor baby," Epps muttered. "Never liked that man."

"Nor did I," Ironhide rumbled. He eyed the retreating backside of Simmons. "Optimus, he is still within range. Can I finish him off?" He raised his cannons hopefully.

"Ironhide, we do not harm humans," said a frowning Optimus.

Ironhide pointed a metal finger at Simmons. "But he is more like a rodent then a human. No, actually he is more like a pest. And what do we do with pests? We exterminate them!"

"Ironhide, it's bad enough that you are talking this way. It is even worse that humans are hearing you. What will they think?" But Optimus had nothing to fear. The four humans roared with laughter at Ironhide's words.

"You know, he has a point," Epps said.

"That's the peskiest man that I have ever met," Lennox added. "Might not be a bad idea to get rid of him before he causes trouble."

"Don't encourage him," Optimus scolded.

"Oh well, shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Epps said. As soon as Bumblebee heard this he began playing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" through his speakers. Roaring with laughter again Lennox and Epps headed in the direction that Keller and Simmons had gone. Optimus sighed and shook his head at Bumblebee.

"Optimus, about Jazz," Ratchet began, "I have…what I mean to say… well...it's not traditional…it's the only thing…,"

"Say it Ratchet," Ironhide growled. "We would like to hear it before old age makes us rust and fall apart."

Ratchet scowled at Ironhide before continuing, "I cannot hope to repair Bumblebee's legs using traditional means. They have taken too much damage. Instead if I…if I used parts of Jazz…then I could fix him. I know that we do not treat our dead as a body part store but it is the only chance Bumblebee has for regaining his legs..."

"Why can't you use a Decepticon?" Sam asked.

"None of the Decepticons are as close to Bumblebee's size as Jazz was. Jazz is the only one I can use," Ratchet replied. "Optimus, I know that what I request is unusual, perhaps wrong-"

"Jazz would have wanted it," Optimus replied cutting Ratchet off. "It would have gladdened his spark if he knew that he could help save Bumblebee from a crippled life. Go ahead and fix Bumblebee."

"Besides," Ironhide murmured, "Jazz always thought he was the best looking Autobot. It also would have gladdened his spark if he knew that he was improving Bumblebee's look." For the first time in a long time the Autobots laughed.

"I will go and find a room where I can work," Ratchet said. He hurried off. When Ratchet found one Optimus scooped Bumblebee up into his arms and brought him to Ratchet. Ironhide took the body of Jazz.

Surrounding a weary looking Ratchet were five human technicians. He tried to get away from them but they followed him, mouths hanging open.

"You're really going to fix him?" one of them asked pointing to Bumblebee.

"How?" another asked.

"I will use parts of Jazz to fix Bumblebee's legs. I will then reattach them to him," Ratchet answered. Gasps and whispers of amazement circled through the technicians.

"May we help, Mr. Robot Doctor?" a brave man asked. After excited whispers the technicians turned to stare intently at Ratchet.

Ratchet hesitated. He was not as fond of humans as the other Autobots were. Personally, he didn't want the technicians anywhere near him. However, Ratchet's respect for Optimus Prime overruled his feelings. Optimus wanted a friendship with humanity. Ratchet would help him gain it. "The repairs on Bumblebee's legs are very advanced. One mistake and it's over. Only I will do the repairs but you can help me by handing me tools and anything else I need." He hoped that this would be enough and it was. The technicians gasped then practically ran into the repair room. Their excited voices drifted out. Sighing Ratchet followed them.

After depositing Bumblebee and Jazz, Optimus and Ironhide followed Sam and Mikaela to a corner where they remained for the rest of the day. Eventually Sam and Mikaela, still worn out from yesterday, fell asleep.

***

Sam awoke suddenly. He and Mikaela were still in their corner. Someone had covered them in blankets while they slept. Optimus was gone but Ironhide was still standing over them.

"Optimus went to check on Bumblebee," Ironhide said when he noticed that Sam was awake. "He then went outside." Sam nodded then left to get some fresh air of his own.

The area surrounding the area was flat and barren. The only vegetation was a huge dying tree. Near it stood Optimus. He was staring silently up at the stars. Sam silently made his way over to the giant Autobot.

Optimus glanced down at the young human. "Sam, you should be resting. The battle yesterday weakened you."

"You're not exactly resting either," Sam responded.

Optimus chuckled. "No, but I do not need to rest as much as you do." Sam merely shrugged his shoulders. He went and sat with his back against the tree. Sighing he closed his eyes. After a few seconds Optimus joined Sam. It was the first time that Sam had ever seen an Autobot sit on the ground. He worried that Optimus might break the tree when he leaned against it but nothing happened. That's one tough dying tree his sleepy mind thought.

"Good night Optimus," he whispered before he fell asleep.


	2. Dreams and Reality

Dreams and Reality

Sam strode down the forest path whistling. He glanced around to make sure he was alone before stepping off the path and into the forest. He continued into the heart of the forest now humming a tune that he had made up. Eventually he made it to a large clearing in the middle of the forest. Boulders the size of houses laid scattered everywhere, the remnants of a giant mountain that once stood there. It was a perfect hiding place for anyone or anything.

Suddenly from behind one of the boulders a huge creature began to stir. Massive feet began to pound the ground as it began to move in Sam's direction. It sounded like a massive dinosaur was on the move. Sam really wouldn't have been surprised if a T-Rex stuck its head around the boulder. Before he would have thought it was impossible. But ever since he met robotic aliens who could transform into cars and stuff, well, nothing seemed impossible now.

Sam waited for the creature to come around the boulder, preparing to run if it was indeed a dinosaur. A huge human shaped creature appeared. It was made of silver-gray metal and towered high above Sam's head. He could barely make out glowing red eyes. It looked more like a walking tank than anything else. The creature paused and stared at the human.

"Boy," Megatron said in his harsh voice, "I have been waiting for you!" In one single leap Megatron jumped the distance separating him and Sam.

"No!" Sam cried. Before he could say anything else or even attempt to run Megatron pinned him to the ground. Next second Sam was being tickled by the giant robot.

"You said you would come yesterday," Megatron growled. "You better have a good reason for not coming sooner!"

"I was busy with Mikaela," Sam gasped between laughing fits. "I couldn't just ditch her!"

"Well, if you were with Mikaela I can forgive you," Megatron muttered. He released the laughing human. "Just don't stand me up again."

"I wasn't going to," Sam said. "You just don't say no to human females. Especially when they're your girlfriend and she wants you to do something. They get mad and stay mad for a long time. Then they hold it against you for even longer. There just was no safe way out." Megatron sighed but said nothing. "Look, you're my best friend. In fact, you're the greatest friend that I have ever had."

"Thank you Sam," Megatron finally said. "That means a lot to hear you say that."

"I also want to say this. It's not the same as the way that I feel about Mikaela but I love you. You are like the brother that I never had and I never want that to change." Sam strode forward and hugged Megatron. Megatron gently patted Sam on the back with a huge clawed finger.

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!" Sam screamed jerking awake.

"Sam!" Optimus cried. The huge Autobot jumped due to the human's sudden outburst, hitting the tree that they had been sitting against. The tree gave an ominous crack. Optimus turned his optics on the young human who was now was pounding his hands against the sides of his head. "Sam, what is wrong?" The human didn't answer but continued to pound on his head. Optimus hesitated wondering what he should do. If Sam was an Autobot Optimus would believe that he was malfunctioning. He would get Ratchet to fix him but Sam was human so that would not work. Optimus had learned from the worldwide web that humans sometimes went insane and that they sometimes could not be fixed. Perhaps the stress of the Mission City battle caused Sam's mind to break. "Sam, I am going to get a doctor," Optimus worriedly. He started to get to his feet when Sam spoke.

"No, I don't need a doctor. I'm fine."

"Sam, you appear to be ill. I think a doctor should examine you."

"No, I really am fine. Just had a bad dream. No, it was more of a nightmare. I'm fine," Sam repeated. "I'm sure you also have had bad dreams."

"I think Autobots dream the way humans do. Sometimes we let our spark wander. It brings up past memories of how things went or how we wish it went. They can be good memories or bad ones."

"Yeah, that sounds like dreaming," Sam muttered.

"I have discovered recounting bad dreams often makes one feel better. Do you wish to try it?"

Sam hesitated. He never told his dreams to anyone, not to his parents and definitely not to a giant talking alien robot. But Optimus made him feel safe and he trusted the giant Autobot with his life plus he didn't think that Optimus would laugh. Sam _did_ want to forget about his dream. So he told Optimus everything. "Then I told him I love him like a bother and then we hugged. Oh god, I can't believe I said I loved Megatron and then hugged him on top of everything else." Sam smacked his forehead with his palm and groaned.

Optimus was silent for a few moments. "I admit that your dream is one of the strangest things that I have ever seen or heard. Do all humans dream such strange things?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Sam answered dully.

"Well, Megatron is dead so you don't have to fear, ah, hugging and saying you love him," Optimus said reasonably. Sam laughed. "In addition the real Megatron never would have let you so near him or be gentle with a human. Your dream could never become reality."

"Thank God," Sam said laughing again. Even Optimus chuckled. "By the way you were right. I feel a lot better now that I told someone."

"Indeed. It is nearing daybreak. Ratchet should be done restoring Bumblebee soon."

"Well, then let's go see him!" Sam cried jumping to his feet. Optimus stared at the suddenly energetic human in surprise. Where humans suddenly got great reserves of energy he did not know. It was one of the mysteries of humanity that Optimus had yet to figure out. As Optimus began to get to his feet Sam spoke again. "Wait, Optimus. Please don't tell anyone about my dream. It's, um, embarrassing for me to dream about Megatron like that. Everyone would laugh especially Lennox and Epps."

Glowing blue eyes met soft brown eyes. "You have placed your secret with one who will never reveal it," Optimus replied. Sam smiled gratefully. Together they made their way back to the base.

Ratchet did not appear to be done yet with Bumblebee. As they walked pass the repair room they heard a technician say, "Dude, that is the coolest thing that I have ever seen!" They made their way back to the corner where Mikaela still slept and Ironhide still stood. Sam gently shook her awake and told her that Bumblebee was almost ready. The four of them waited in silence for almost thirty minutes.

Suddenly from Ratchet's repair room music blasted out. "I get knocked down, but I get up again! You're never going to keep me down!" Bumblebee emerged with both legs reattached. Sam and Mikaela cheered. Ironhide and Optimus smiled. A tired Ratchet appeared beside Bumblebee followed by the five technicians.

"As you can see I was successful," Ratchet said gesturing to Bumblebee. "I even added more weapon capabilities to him. He is now stronger then he has ever been before."

"Isn't it amazing?" a technician blurted out. "We helped! Coolest thing I have ever done!" His fellow technicians beamed clearly pleased with themselves.

"Best work you've done in a long time Ratchet," Ironhide said. Bumblebee nodded in agreement. Suddenly dance music began blasting from his speakers and Bumblebee began to dance to it. He punched the air, twisted, turned, and twirled around. Sam and Mikaela cheered him on. After exchanging startled looks the technicians began to cheer as well. Military men and women soon gathered to watch the dancing Autobot. Ironhide was clearly amused while Ratchet looked amused but clearly disapproved of Bumblebee's antics. Ratchet glanced at Optimus who merely shook his head. He was not going to ruin Bumblebee's excitement. For the first time in a long time the Autobots could celebrate about something. Optimus would let them celebrate for as long as they wanted to.


	3. Embarrassment

Embarrassment

It was around lunchtime at the military base. Sam waited in the lunch line with about fifty other military men and women. As the line slowly progressed towards the food Sam mused over the news that the Secretary of Defense, John Keller, had given them just a few hours ago; the dead Decepticons and Megatron were now lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The Autobots had been pleased. Ironhide had actually laughed in amusement. Apparently the treatment that the bodies of the dead Decepticons had been given was very cruel and degrading in Cybertronian standards. Sam remembered how Ironhide and Optimus had handled the body of Jazz with gentleness and respect while Megatron had been dumped unceremoniously into the water. It was the last thing that they could do to insult the fallen Decepticon leader.

It was finally Sam's turn to grab some food. He had grabbed two bowls of chili for himself and for Mikaela disregarding the sign that warned that the chili was made from very spicy chili peppers. He turned to reach for the last rolls of bread. At the same time a huge muscled man (who looked like he outweighed Sam by two hundred pounds) reached for the rolls at the same time.

The man swatted Sam's hands away from the rolls. "Those are mine! Get your hands off them pipsqueak or I'll turn you into jelly!" the man growled.

"Sorry sir!" Sam squeaked, frightened.

"Oh, wait," the man said. He gave Sam a good look before saying, "You're that robot kid. Sorry, didn't recognize you. Here take these." He dropped the rolls onto Sam's tray and walked away.

A startled Sam stared after him for a few seconds before turning to make his way back to the corner that he, Mikaela and the four Autobots claimed as their own. Mikaela smiled when Sam handed her a bowl of chili. Her fingers brushed his when she took the bowl and Sam suddenly felt hot all over. Trying to take his mind off Mikaela he shoved a huge spoonful of chili into his mouth only to instantly regret it. His mouth instantly felt like it was on fire and tears welled up in his eyes. He gagged and hurriedly took a sip of water. This did not comfort him and instead made it worse. Sure that he was going to die because of the chili Sam tried desperately to think of something that would save him. He suddenly remembered his mom telling him once that bread helped take away spicy tastes and quickly showed some bread into his mouth. Though it didn't completely cure him he felt a lot better.

After Sam's mouth felt normal he began to burn again but this time with embarrassment. Mikaela was doing her best to pretend that she hadn't noticed Sam's ordeal, trying to spare him from embarrassment. The Autobots didn't take her lead. Ironhide was frowning at Sam and both Optimus and Bumblebee were staring worriedly. Remembering Optimus thought that Sam might be going insane Sam tried to reassure them with a smile. Ratchet had cocked his head to the side and stared intently at Sam. He was clearly analyzing Sam with his sensors.

"Optimus," Ratchet said. "My sensors indicate that the human tried to ingest an energy source that severely irritated his taste buds. The result caused him much discomfort until he ingested another energy source that immediately began to relieve his discomfort. No lasting damage was caused. However, now he is highly embarrassed." Sam groaned. Trying desperately to make Mikaela forget about what just happened he told her about the huge military man that threatened him over the rolls and how he had called Sam robot kid.

"They call you robot kid because of the Autobots," a voice said. A quick glance revealed it was Lennox. Epps was at his side. "You are the one who has been around them the most. It seemed fitting to call you that. Your friendship with the Autobots intimidates a lot of people."

"The guy wasn't scared about that. He probably heard about how I ran around Mission City with the All Spark and didn't want to cross me. He was scared that the muscles that were used to carry the All Spark would next be used to wail on him," Sam replied in a brave attempt to try and impress Mikaela. "I mean, after all most of my body mass is muscle." He flexed his arms.

Lennox and Epps exchanged skeptical glances. They began to respond but Ratchet beat them to it. "Actually your body scans indicate that less than five percent of your mass is due to muscles. In comparison to other males of the human race you are quite small. In human terms you would be considered 'wimpy'."

Sam seemed to deflate. "Ratchet, dude, you're killing me."

"I think that Sam is a very impressive human specimen," Optimus said, clearly trying to make Sam feel better. "Not many could accomplish what he did. I think that he is very muscular and in human terms 'buff'."

"Oh, God, it gets worse," Sam muttered into his hands.

"Well, I agree with Optimus," Mikaela said. She leaned over and kissed Sam on the cheek. Sam immediately seemed to swell. He beamed at everyone, the chili incident forgotten.

Epps and Lennox laughed. "Oh, Lennox, look at that. Young love. Isn't it beautiful?"Epps asked, pretending to dab at his eyes.

"I have never seen anything so touching in my entire life," Lennox responded.

Sam didn't seem to mind their banter. However Mikaela seemed to. Blushing slightly she asked pointedly, "Did you two _want_ something?"

Still chuckling Epps replied. "Yeah, we just wanted to congratulate Bumblebee. His dancing routine this morning caused quite a stir. Everyone loved the dancing robot with the moves."

"Uh, thanks, I think," Bumblebee said.

"Bumblebee's actions were not typical of our race. He-"

Ratchet was cut off by Lennox. "I believe that Bumblebee may have helped to strengthen the relationship between humans and Autobots. Bumblebee's joy over the restoration of his legs showed us, humans, that you, uh, _Transformers_, have emotions just like we do. Just because you are aliens and not even made of flesh doesn't mean that you are so different from us. Bumblebee proved that. Everyone here is proud to have fought by your side and would be honored if you chose to remain on Earth."

Silence fell until Optimus broke it. "Thank you Captain Lennox. Your words mean more to us then we can ever express. We are also proud to have fought alongside you. We have found some of the most honorable men and women on Earth. We are proud to entrust our lives," here Optimus glanced at Lennox and at Epps, "and our future," this time the glance was directed at Sam, "with you."


	4. From Good to Bad

From Good to Bad

So far the day was a good one. Sam had been shaken awake by an excited Mikaela. The government was releasing her father from jail. She was leaving in a few minutes to go meet him but wanted to say goodbye first and thank Sam for being the one who manipulated the government into freeing him. Mikaela, with a mischievous wink, promised Sam that she would repay him later. Sam felt his face burn and could do nothing for a couple of minutes except grin stupidly.

The next good piece of news came from Simmons. Sam had been daydreaming about Mikaela while the Autobots argued about the likelihood of more Decepticons coming to Earth. Daydreams and arguments were interrupted by angry shouts.

"You can't do this!" Simmons howled. "Decades of work destroyed! I won't let you do this!"

"The order came directly from the President," Keller responded. "There is nothing you can do about it. Sector Seven will be shut down."

"For generations my family has worked for Sector Seven! My great-grandfather removed N.B.E.-1 from the Arctic. My grandfather and father made sure we were ready for when more N.B.E.s came to Earth. You can't erase my family's legacy! Everything we worked for can't be destroyed!"

"Simmons," Keller said sternly, "I told you that you can't change this. The decision has been made. The President wants an agency that works with the Autobots not one that wants to destroy every alien out there even if they are the good guys. Sector Seven no longer fulfills the goals of The United States Government. I'm sorry."

Simmons looked around desperately. His eyes fell on Sam and the Autobots. "It because of _them _isn't it?" he asked pointing at the Autobots. "It's because I pissed off the transforming truck. Or is it because of _him_, that _kid _with the criminal girlfriend?" he asked, this time pointing an accusatory finger at Sam. "That's why you're shutting me down. It not right. You should stick with fellow humans not alien robots."

"That's enough Simmons," Keller said impatiently. "Go and collect any personal belonging you have at your office. You no longer work for the government. No more questioning the President's decision." Simmons looked like he was about to explode with anger. His hands balled into fists and his face turned bright red. He shot one last venomous look at Sam and the Autobots before walking away. Sighing, Keller followed him.

Ironhide sighed happily. "We are finally rid of that irritating human." Ratchet chuckled.

"Ironhide, Ratchet, the man just lost everything that he worked for. Try not to act _to_ happy," Optimus said.

"He captured Bumblebee, arrested Sam and Mikaela, and insulted you. He and Sector Seven never did anything good."

"They kept Megatron frozen," Optimus replied. "They tried to hide the All Spark. The war might have been lost if Sector Seven hadn't done those things."

"Optimus, why do you defend that human? Even _you_ did not like him," Ratchet said.

"Because we want to form a friendship with the humans. We are more alike than we are different. That means we must be kind even to those that are a nuisance if we want a friendship between our two races." Ironhide and Ratchet sighed but Bumblebee nodded in agreement. "Shall we tell Sam, old friend?" Optimus asked him. Bumblebee nodded again.

"Tell me what?" Sam asked, quickly snapping out of the daydream that he had fallen into again.

"Well, Sam, Optimus and I have been talking and we think that you should do something…"

***

Sam paced back and forth in the military base in front of four building sized Autobots. Occasionally he would pause to stare at them. Each time he stopped he would open his mouth, apparently wanting to say something, but would close it again when he could not find his voice. He would instead start to pace again. His day, which had started out so good, had just become bad.

Bumblebee turned to look at Optimus. Optimus returned his gaze and merely shrugged his massive shoulders. He then turned his glowing blue optics back on the young human pacing in front of him.

Sam finally spoke. "This is crazy. This is even more insane then all the things that happened since I met you. I mean, me fighting building sized, shape-shifting, robots was crazy. Me throwing a cube into Megatron's chest and killing him was insane. But what you want to do now… it's the icing on the cake!"

"Icing? Cake?" Optimus asked aloud, confusion on his face and in his voice. "I don't understand." Sam didn't answer. He continued to pace, muttering under his breath. It was now the leader of the Autobots turn to glance at Bumblebee. The yellow and black Autobot simply tilted his head to the side. It was his way of saying that it was a 'human thing' and that he didn't understand any better than Optimus.

Sam spoke again. "I just don't think it is a good idea. We almost died in Mission City but we just got out of there alive. If you want to tempt death again in just-"

"Sam," Optimus replied cutting across him, "your parents deserve to know the truth. They were taken by your government because of us and our connection to you. Do you not think they deserve to know what their child went through? We will, of course, leave the final decision up to you but I believe that you should tell them."

Sam scowled at the looming Autobot. "I told you before that my mother has a temper. She would flip if she found out how many times I was almost maimed, squished, shot, or killed. Dad would not go better, especially when he finds out that it was you who destroyed his lawn. You're asking for trouble!" None of the robots said anything but Optimus gave Sam an odd look. Sam immediately felt like a small child being reprimanded by his parent for a wrongdoing. Still scowling, but slightly red in the cheeks, he muttered to his feet, "I'll introduce you to them and we can tell them all that happened. But if they do go ballistic, you can't say that I didn't warn you!" He looked up just in time to see the Autobots smile.

"You made a wise choice, Sam," Optimus rumbled in his deep voice. "Only I and Bumblebee will come. Ratchet and Ironhide will remain here in case a Decepticon appears. For the three of us our next destination is your house." Sam merely looked like he was going to be sick. Both Optimus and Bumblebee backed up. In a whirl and clatter of twisting and folding metal both Autobots seemed to fold in on themselves. In a matter of seconds a truck and car sat gleaming exactly where two humanoid robots had stood before. Bumblebee opened the driver's door for Sam. When Sam was secure inside of Bumblebee both Autobots exited the military base and drove off.


	5. Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue

Sam stared silently out of Bumblebee's windshield. The setting sun glared into his eyes. He could barely make out his house in the distance. "Pull over here," he said pointing to the side of the road. "I don't want us going straight up to the house." Bumblebee pulled over and Optimus followed, pulling up behind the yellow car. Nervously, Sam got out of the car. He walked around Bumblebee to stand on the sidewalk and stared anxiously at the two disguised Autobots. He couldn't help but feel that something was going to go horribly wrong. Maybe he could prevent that from happening.

"Ok, you know the plan. I go first and prepare my parents. You stay here until I give the signal. You can't come sooner. Please, listen this time. Last time you didn't listen my backyard was destroyed. Please, please, please listen," he beseeched to the Autobots. Optimus merely rumbled his engine. Sam was not reassured. "This is still insane. I can't believe I am actually doing this. I think-"Optimus rumbled more loudly this time and flashed his front lights impatiently. Sam groaned miserably. "Ok, ok don't freak out on me. I'll go but please wait for my signal. Please!" No sound came from either of the vehicles. He hoped that meant they would.

Sam turned and began walking towards his house as slowly as he dared. He could feel the eyes of the two Autobots on the back of his head. He wondered how this could be considering that they didn't have "eyes" in their current form. Maybe he felt their headlights on the back of his head. That would make more sense. He suddenly felt a strange desire to laugh.

The long walk to his house concluded far too quickly. He slowly made his way to the front. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell he heard his father's voice drifting from the backyard.

"Judy, you heard what the government told us. Sam left with two highly trained soldiers. They will get him here. In fact, I bet he will be walking up to the house any minute now. There is no need to worry. We will have him back soon." His mom's answer was an audible sniffle.

Sam strode around the side of the house. His dad was kneeling on the ground, apparently trying to fill in the holes that the Autobots had created that night when Sam had met them for the first time. His mom was holding a large broom in her hands. She had been sweeping up the fragments of the fountain that Optimus had stepped on and ruined. She gave a shriek when she saw him. Next second the broom was being pushed into his back as she hugged him fiercely. His dad joined them a few seconds later.

"I told you that he was coming!" his dad said beaming.

"Oh, Sammy," his mother whispered, backing up to look at him properly. "We didn't know if we would ever see you again. We found out that you were taken out of the city to someplace faraway. When they let us go we still had no idea where you were. They said that you would be coming but I thought they were lying. You have scratches and cuts all over. Did they hurt you? Because if they did I will go and kick their-"

"I'm fine, mom," Sam interrupted.

"But your cuts…"

"I wasn't hurt by any humans. I was…um…other…other things got me."

His parents stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Sam?" his father asked.

"Well, you aren't going to believe this," Sam began. "It turns out that…" he stopped in midsentence. A rumbling sound was coming towards them. Sam nearly fainted when he realized that the noise was coming from a car and truck. "Oh no. Oh no. I told them to wait. I told them so many times. This can't be happening. Oh, God," Sam muttered wildly. His eyes were wide and he had become deathly pale.

His parents barely got in their looks of confusion before a yellow car and a massive blue truck with flames appeared, rumbling into the backyard and over the grass that Ron worked so hard to keep smooth. Judy clutched the broom in front of herself like a shield while Ron bellowed about his yard being even more demolished.

"I told you to wait!" Sam cried running up to the two Autobots, his arms waving wildly. "What happened to the signal? Why didn't you listen to me? This is turning into a nightmare!" Even as he said this he knew that he shouldn't have expected different. He had already learned that Autobots listened to none. Bumblebee, at least, made an apologetic noise.

Judy slowly advanced towards the vehicles. She froze when she realized that there was no one in the cars. "No drivers," she said in disbelief. "How can that be? That's impossible. Cars can't move on their own. What's going on?" She turned to stare at her husband. He too wore a look of disbelief.

"Mom, Dad, let me explain," Sam said, panic creeping into his voice.

"Sam, perhaps we should take on a more familiar form? It may ease the shock of seeing us," a deep voice said. Ron and Judy jumped when they realized that the voice was coming from the truck itself.

"I don't-"Sam began but was cut off when Judy screamed. Bumblebee had rolled a couple of feet towards her to give Optimus more room. Judy, thinking that he was going to run over her, brought her broom down like a sword onto Bumblebee's hood to stop him. She struck with such force that the broom actually bounced back into the air. A muffled squeak was emitted from the car. Meanwhile, Optimus had decided, all on his own, to transform back into his humanoid form. Judy screamed again and even Ron yelled when parts of the truck popped out, twisted, and rearranged themselves. Optimus was halfway through his transformation when Bumblebee decided to get away from Judy. In his haste to put space between himself and the human he accidently backed into the Autobot leader. Optimus promptly fell over and landed with a ground shaking crash. Bumblebee let out a panicked squeak and quickly transformed back into his own humanoid shape and attempted to help Optimus. As he hurried forward one of his massive feet got caught on the ruined base of the fountain. He stumbled and nearly fell on top of Sam. Sam, sensing danger, dove out of the way just in time. Once again the ground shook.

Sam quickly got to his feet and turned to see if anyone was hurt. Both Bumblebee and Optimus were getting to their feet. His mom and dad were standing side by side with their mouths open, to shocked to say anything. Sam couldn't believe that it was happening like this. Once again he felt a strong desire to laugh. He had known that this was going to be insane. He never imagined that it would be _this_ insane. A giggle nearly escaped his lips. He wondered if Optimus was right about him going insane.

Sam's parents continued to gape at Optimus and Bumblebee. Bumblebee was staring nervously at Optimus clearly wondering if he was in trouble for causing the Autobot leader to crash into the ground. Meanwhile, Optimus was trying to pretend that nothing had happened, which was hard since the ground now had a Bumblebee and an Optimus Prime shaped gouge in it. Even though Optimus could not blush like a human Sam could tell that he was highly embarrassed about the welcome that was given to Ron and Judy.

Sam decided to break the silence that had formed between the three humans and two robots. "Mom, dad, I would like to introduce you to Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and to Bumblebee, a.k.a. my car. We came here to explain things not to create mayhem." Both Autobots quickly nodded in agreement.


	6. Reckoning

Reckoning

An awkward silence had once again descended upon the humans and Autobots. Ron and Judy Witwicky were still too shocked to say anything. Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were clearly uncomfortable about the situation and Sam was still trying not to break into giggles over the insanity of the whole situation. Optimus glanced at Sam almost pleadingly, asking the boy with his optics to help him out. Sam wanted to help the Autobot out but a deeper, darker, part of him wanted to let the Autobot dangle in the wind for not listening to him. Surprisingly, it was Ron who broke the silence.

"S-Sam w-who are they? W-What are they?"

That dark thought of letting Optimus suffer immediately left Sam. "They're friends, dad. They are the good guys."

"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. We call ourselves Autobots. As Sam said, we are friends," Optimus added.

Ron stared silently at Optimus. Even though Optimus was speaking English, Ron didn't seem to understand a word that he said. He focused on his son. "Sam, they're _good _guys? Look at them. Look at their size! They just destroyed the lawn! My lawn destroyed, trashed, gone!"

Optimus answered. "Normally we don't tend to make this much damage. We just had an accident." At this statement Bumblebee shifted guiltily. "I assure you we meant no harm. I admit the first time that we were here damage was caused…"

"Damage? What damage?" Ron asked.

"He means the night we were arrested by that weirdo man. The night when my flowers were crushed, the fountain was smashed, the electricity was knocked out, and we had those earthquakes. That was you, wasn't it?" Judy demanded. Optimus nodded. Judy tightened her grip on her broom. "You are a menace! Go away!" She swung the broom at Optimus.

"No mom!" Sam cried. He was too late. There was a loud thud as the broom collided with Optimus metal leg. The force caused Judy to fall backward. The broom fell from her hands as she fell to the ground. Sam ran forward and threw it across the yard before Judy could pick it up again.

Optimus looked aghast. He glanced at Sam. "Sam, perhaps we were too hasty coming to your parent's house," Optimus murmured, his glowing blue optics following Ron as he helped Judy to her feet. "They do not seem to be taking our presence to well."

"Oh, no, you're not backing out now," Sam replied. "Besides, they were doing well until you two came tearing around the corner." Optimus blinked in reply but Bumblebee nodded in agreement.

"Sam! Get away from those things!" Ron yelled. "I'm calling the cops!"

"No! They are friends, _friends!" _Sam cried desperately.

"Sam, you are hurt. You said humans didn't do it. Those are the only alien, whatever they are, things around. They did it!"

"No, mom, they didn't! They saved me! Bumblebee's my guardian!"

When Ron and Judy didn't move or speak Optimus added, "The reason we came to Earth was to find the All Spark. Your ancestor Archibald Amundsen Witwicky had the information that was need to find it. When he discovered Megatron in the Arctic the location of the All Spark was burned into his glasses. He then began to see Cybertronian symbols."

"HA!" Ron said triumphantly. "I told you he wasn't insane!" Sam and Judy merely shrugged. "But how did you know about the glasses?"

"We found out about the glasses through the worldwide web. They were on the website "eBay," Optimus replied, clearly pleased about how he had found out about the glasses and that Ron and Judy were no longer yelling or trying to whack him with a broom.

"On eBay," Ron repeated, "on eBay…" Sam flinched. "Sam, you were selling our priceless family heirlooms on eBay! I don't… where is your Witwicky pride?!"

"Well, I need money for a car. No car means no girl. Plus, I always thought he was lame. Of course I don't anymore," Sam said quickly after seeing the dangerous look on his father's face.

"We knew that your ancestor could no longer be alive," Optimus said, steering the conversation away from dangerous waters. "I sent my scout, Bumblebee, to Earth to locate the living descendents of Archibald Amundsen Witwicky. But I believe Sam can tell the rest of the story better than I can…"

So Sam spoke of everything that happened since he brought home the disguised Bumblebee from Bolivia's Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo. Occasionally Optimus and Bumblebee would fill in some more information. After he was done, Sam and the Autobots waited for Ron and Judy's reaction. Darkness had fallen and the only noise came from happily chirping crickets.

"You really did all that?" Ron asked. Sam nodded. "That's incredible!" Sam and the Autobots jumped and the sudden outburst. "You upheld the Witwicky pride!"

"Oh, my brave little Sammy!" his mother exclaimed. Both parents ran forward to hug their son. Sam, Optimus, and Bumblebee all exchanged startled looks. None of them had expected it to turn out like this.

"I never would have imagined that a Witwicky would be the first to discover alien life! My son was the first to befriend aliens!" Ron turned to beam at a startled Optimus and Bumblebee.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry that I attacked you with that broom," Judy said. "First time I have ever done anything like that before. I promise I won't melt you down into scrap metal."

"Scrap metal," Optimus repeated shaking his head. Sam merely smiled. "Sam, I must return to the military base. Bumblebee will remain here with you."

Ron and Judy look less pleased about this statement. "He has to stay here?" Judy asked, pointing at Bumblebee. "But why? Don't you want to leave and go back to your Cyber place?"

A haunted look appeared in the optics of Optimus. "Our planet is now dead," Optimus said. "There is nothing left for us there now." A silence fell between them until Optimus broke it. "Bumblebee will remain with Sam in case a Decepticon comes wanting revenge for the role Sam played in our war. Bumblebee will protect you." The yellow Autobot nodded.

"Do you, er, think it will be likely a Decepticon will come," Ron asked tentatively.

"No, it most likely won't come to pass. But, as your old Earth saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry." Ron and Judy seemed to accept this. Optimus now turned to the young human that he owed his life to. "Farewell for now Sam. I know that we will meet again soon. I will never forget that I owe you my life."

Optimus now turned to Bumblebee. No words were spoken between them. Optimus merely gripped Bumblebee's shoulder before nodding to him and then to Sam and his parents. The leader of the Autobots then transformed back into a truck then took off into the night.


	7. Acceptance

Acceptance

A week had passed since the Mission City battle. Bumblebee was now living in the Witwicky garage. Sam had thought it was very sweet that his father had cleaned out garage for the Autobot. That was until he realized that only reason why Ron did that was to keep Bumblebee as far from the house as possible. No matter how hard Sam tried he couldn't get his parents to connect with the Autobot. Then one memorable day Ron finally took to Bumblebee.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Ron was in the backyard barbequing. Sam was resting in a chair and Judy was in the kitchen preparing food. Bumblebee had emerged from the garage and was standing near the edge of the lawn. He had learned that Ron was very protective of his lawn and did not dare to step upon it. Ron in turn would not remove his eyes from the Autobot, following his every little move, frowning as he did so. Bumblebee's metal shoulders sagged, clearly disappointed that the majority of his human charges did not trust him.

Sam couldn't handle seeing Bumblebee upset. He got out of his chair and walked over to the giant Autobot, took a giant metal finger and wrapped his fingers around it.

"Come on, 'Bee," he said. "Come join the party."

"What?" Bumblebee and Ron said at the same time. Sam merely pulled on Bumblebee's hand. After gazing hesitantly at Sam, Bumblebee allowed the boy to steer him to where Ron was standing. Bumblebee stepped tentatively on the grass, doing his best to avoid causing damage to the lawn. Ron paled and winced at every step that the Autobot took. After checking to make sure that his precious lawn hadn't been maimed Ron returned to watching Bumblebee.

Sam returned to his chair and was now observing the strange staring match between his father and his guardian. He knew that it was impossible to try to get them to talk to each other but Sam thought it was a good sign that Ron was not screaming in terror at the sight of Bumblebee. Perhaps there was hope for their relationship.

Judy emerged out of the house smiling and announcing that the hamburgers were ready for cooking. She froze when she realized Bumblebee was standing a few feet away from her. Edging slowly towards Ron, she didn't remove her gaze from the Autobot. She practically threw the hamburger patties at Ron when she got close enough, then ran back into the house. Sighing, Sam followed her.

"Mom, are you ok?" he asked. "I've told you, Bumblebee is a friend. You shouldn't be scared of him."

"I know. It's just crazy to see a giant alien standing in my backyard. I still want to go out there and kick his ass."

Sam groaned. "Well, don't do that. You've got to be the only person in the world who would take on a giant robot willingly."

"It's because I am protective of my little Sammy," Judy replied, hugging her son. "You left your father out there alone," she said accusingly.

Sam gasped. "You're right! I shouldn't have done that to 'Bee!" Judy raised an eyebrow. "I mean to dad," Sam added hastily. He hurried back outside and was greeted with one of the strangest sights that he would ever see.

Ron was busy cooking the hamburger patties and Bumblebee was kneeling down, fixated on what the human was doing. Ron would flip a patty with a spatula and Bumblebee would follow its progress through the air, his head bobbing up and down. Ron seemed to be enjoying the attention. He was smiling and was closely watching Bumblebee's reactions. After a particularly fine flip, Bumblebee chirped in amazement. Ron positively beamed.

"You see, Bumblebee, cooking is an art. Some people just don't possess the inner chef. Do you know what I mean?" Bumblebee nodded, even though he clearly didn't understand, seeing how he didn't eat food. "Let me show you my finest work." Ron tossed a patty high into the air and twirled around. He caught it on the spatula just before it collided with the grill. Bumblebee broke into applause. "Thank you, thank you!" Ron cried, bowing.

"Are you two having fun?" Sam asked, smiling in amusement.

"You were right, Sam. This guy is alright," Ron said, motioning to Bumblebee. The Autobot seemed to glow in happiness.

"Are you showing off, Ron? Can't you ever not show off your "cooking" skills?" Judy asked, following Sam into the backyard.

"You're just jealous," Ron replied. Judy scowled. "I mean, yes dear." Sam laughed.

Before Sam could grab his food, Bumblebee pulled him aside.

"Thank you, Sam. Thank you for allowing me into your family and trying to get us all to connect. I… it means a lot to me."

Sam gazed into blue optics. "Well, I, uh, you're welcome, you are a part, uh… I'm not good at this kind of stuff… this is more Mikaela's area..."

"I know what you mean," Bumblebee replied. Sam smiled. They stood there until Ron started yelling for Sam to get his food before it became cold. A smiling Sam returned to his parents with Bumblebee at his side.


	8. Anger Management

Anger Management

Sam awoke suddenly. A glance at his clock revealed it was almost seven in the morning. He felt someone watching him. Rolling over in bed Sam saw two giant blue orbs staring at him through his window. Sam screamed in surprise and fell out of bed. There was a squeak of dismay.

"Bumblebee!" Sam cried as he struggled to free himself from his blankets. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Why does it matter?" the Autobot asked.

"It's…it's creepy. How would you like if I watched you while you slept?"

"I would not mind." Sam scowled. "I watched for a couple of Earth minutes. I wanted to see if you were ready to go to school."

Sam groaned. "Oh no, I completely forgot about school. I'm not going." Sam flopped back onto his bed and pulled the blankets over his head.

Bumblebee moved closer to the house. "You have to go to school. Your society requires it."

"Not going 'Bee. If I go you will never see me again."

"I'll be there with you. If a Decepticon comes I will protect you."

"It's not Decepticons I'm worried about," Sam muttered from underneath the blankets.

"Are you worried about the young human that confronted you? The one at that was at the lake?" Sam lowered the blankets slightly to peer at Bumblebee. It was all that Bumblebee needed. "I am sure that he will not be a problem, Sam."

"You don't know Trent," Sam muttered. "You don't know what he will do to me. I insulted him then stole his girlfriend. He's going to kill me."

Bumblebee made a skeptical noise. Before he could respond there was a loud knock on Sam's bedroom door.

"Sam! Wake up! Time for school!" his dad called out happily. "Your vacation is officially over!"

"Some vacation. I was almost killed only about a hundred times by alien robots." Groaning, Sam rolled out of bed and stretched. He glanced at his window and saw Bumblebee still watching him. "You're not going to watch me get dressed are you? That's getting too weird…"

"I will meet you on the driveway. This is going to be a good day." The Autobot walked away. Sam groaned miserably. Thirty minutes later Bumblebee was driving him to school.

"I can't believe I am doing this. I'm tempting death to soon. I should have learned my lesson with Megatron. I shouldn't be doing this," Sam muttered wildly.

"It will be fine," Bumblebee said reassuringly. Sam was not convinced. They arrived at Sam's school and Bumblebee parked himself. For a few minutes Sam refused to get out of the car and Bumblebee was afraid that he would have to force the boy out. Sam eventually gathered his courage and got out of Bumblebee. He immediately regretted it.

Trent and four of his friends were heading straight for Sam. It was clear that Trent was very angry. His face was red, his teeth were bared, and his hands were balled into fists.

"Oh God," Sam whimpered. "He's going to kill me!" He tried to get back into Bumblebee but wasn't able to. Trent had reached the door first and slammed it shut. He advanced upon Sam.

Sam tried his best to put on a charming smile. "Hello Trent! How are you today? Beautiful day isn't it?"

"Shut up," Trent snarled. "So you are the loser that Mikaela ran off with. That sucking at sports loser."

"I told you I was researching for a book about the link between brain damage and football," Sam replied before he could stop himself.

"Well, you are now going to be writing a book about what happens when you cross Trent."

"Actually, it will be about those who have anger management problems," Sam answered. Trent's eyes flashed and Sam winced. He wondered why he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Very funny," Trent snapped. "You think you are so big and tough now that you have Mikaela and that you updated that old piece of crap car. I'll take care of that." He turned towards Bumblebee and slammed his foot into the driver's door.

Bumblebee responded by opening his door and slamming it into Trent. The door closed itself as Trent fell to the pavement. Trent swore and glared at the car. His friends wore dumbfounded expressions.

"You'll pay for that," Trent snarled, struggling to his feet. He turned to his friends. "Get him!"

Sam squeaked in alarm as the five boys descended upon him but Bumblebee came to his rescue again. The Autobot set off the loudest alarm that Sam had ever heard, a high pitched screeching sound. Sam, Trent and his friends, and everyone else in the vicinity clapped their hands over their ears trying to block out the sound. After giving the car frightened looks, Trent and his friends ran off. Bumblebee stopped the alarm after he could no longer see Trent.

"Thanks 'Bee for helping me out. Maybe next time you won't blow out my eardrums?"

"Sorry," emerged from the car.

"Oh man, I am in so much trouble," Sam muttered. Teachers and even a few police officers were heading towards him.

About an hour later a grinning Sam emerged from the principal's office. Trent and his friends were getting suspended from school for trying to start a fight. Trent was also getting fined for trying to damage Sam's car. Sam could barely contain his happiness over Trent's misfortune.

"Sam!" a voice called. Sam turned and saw Mikaela running towards him. "I heard what happened. Is everything ok?" Grinning, Sam told her Trent's face. "Ugh, I am so glad that I am done with him."

"Me too," Sam said before kissing her.

Later in the day Sam sat outside with Bumblebee. "You know Bumblebee you were right about this being a good day." The Autobot nodded in agreement.


	9. Independence Day

Independence Day

Bumblebee was enjoying the beautiful day. Sam and Mikaela were at school and the Autobot was waiting for them patiently. He was in the student parking lot, basking in the sunshine. Bumblebee was in vehicle mode but this did not stop him from enjoying the warmth that this solar system's sun provided. He fought hard to remain aware of his surroundings. Past experience had proven that Decepticons were likely to come bursting out of nowhere, but the warmth was affecting his systems.

A loud noise echoed forth from the school. If Bumblebee had in robot form he would have jumped. He realized that he had allowed his spark to wander and cursed his foolishness. He heard voices in the school growing steadily louder, voices that were screaming. Bumblebee felt his spark stop. A Decepticon must have come while he was dreaming. A Decepticon was attacking the school. He had failed to protect his human charges. What would Optimus say?

The doors of the school burst open, spilling hundreds of students onto the school grounds. They scattered in many different directions. They ran waving their arms over their heads, cheering, screaming excitingly, and hugging each other. Bumblebee struggled to make sense of what was unfolding in front of him. Perhaps all of these young humans had gone mad?

Bumblebee soon saw Sam and Mikaela running towards him. Sam was yelling incoherently while Mikaela laughed. Bumblebee's confusion only grew.

"We're free! Free! No more slavery! No more torturous nights! We're free!" Sam was yelling. Bumblebee now remembered. This was the last day of school for Sam and Mikaela. Sam had been talking about it for days.

"Sam," Bumblebee had asked, "Don't you like school? I always liked learning from the old Cybertron databases and from the Elders."

"You went to school on Cybertron? And you _liked _it?" Sam asked, looking slightly horrified. Bumblebee had then learned that valuable lesson that not all humans enjoyed school.

Sam and Mikaela were now in front of him. Bumblebee chirped in greeting. Several students walking by frowned at the car.

"Pretty cool security system, don't you think?" Mikaela asked them. They shrugged and continued on their way. "I thought you knew you had to be careful," Mikaela told Bumblebee. "Be a 'normal' car. And what are you doing?" she asked Sam, who was dancing.

"No more school! No more school!" Sam chanted.

"_School's out forever_!" blasted from Bumblebee's radio.

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "So much for normal. If you two are done, let's go. You're making a scene." Sam looked around and saw that about a dozen students had gathered around them. Sam gave them his most charming smile before hopping into Bumblebee.

As they pulled out of the school parking lot Sam muttered, "That was close. Did you see how they were staring at us like we were crazy?"

"Staring at _you _like _you_ were crazy," Mikaela corrected. "They are probably wondering if this car is alive. Which is _not _a good thing," she added, tapping the car dashboard.

"Sorry," Bumblebee and Sam said at the same time.

Mikaela sighed and shook her head. "Boys," she muttered.

***

A couple of weeks later Bumblebee went with Sam and his parents to the mountains. Sam's father knew a man who owned a house in the heart of the mountains. He was letting the Witwickys borrow it for the Fourth of July weekend.

Bumblebee could have easily looked up on the worldwide web what was so special about the Fourth of July for Americans, but he was still trying to connect with Ron and Judy Witwicky so he asked them instead.

Bumblebee at once regretted asking. Ron's eyes had gotten huge and Bumblebee feared that he had asked an offensive question.

"My good robot! Let me explain!" Ron then went into an hour long talk about the American Revolutionary War and all the events that led up to it. "See, we celebrate our independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. _Independence Day. _Get it?" Yes, Bumblebee now got it.

On the day that they were leaving Sam was gathering his things in the Witwicky garage. He was going to be riding with Bumblebee while his parents were taking another car. Ron and Judy thought it was too "weird" to ride in an alien robot. Ron had approached Sam and Bumblebee with a guilty look on his face.

"Bumblebee, I need a favor from you," Ron said quietly.

"What is it Mr. Witwicky?" Bumblebee asked politely.

"Not so loud! I don't want Judy to hear… I mean, we don't want to disrupt her packing. I need you to take my… my "payload". I can't take it in the other car."

"That's fine," Bumblebee said softly. Ron grinned and hurried off to gather his "payload".

"Oh man. I know exactly what this is about. Mom is going to be pissed," Sam groaned. Bumblebee looked at Sam in alarm. Before he could ask what Sam meant Ron had returned. In his arms he carried several bulky shopping bags. Bumblebee eyed them wearily.

Ron saw Bumblebee's expression and opened the bags to show the Autobot what was inside. There were many different shaped boxes, cylinders, and rockets, all in a wide variety of colors. Bumblebee's sensors picked up high amounts of explosives. There was enough there to blow up a small Decepticon.

"Fireworks!" Ron said his eyes wide with excitement. "All the best of the best! This is how we celebrate Independence Day! Judy doesn't like how much I spend on them, but she does like the light show. We can't let her see them until we get to the mountains. Can I trust you to hide them?" Bumblebee had looked at Sam who just shrugged. Sighing, Bumblebee nodded. A couple of hours later they were on the road with Ron's "payload" in tow.

They arrived at the mountain house after nearly five hours of driving. It truly was in the heart of the mountains. The nearest human settlement was more than five miles away. For the first time in a long time Bumblebee could truly wander around without worrying about being seen by any humans.

Ron and Sam had removed the "payload" from Bumblebee. Judy was not happy to see it. "Men," she had muttered. Ron just smiled guiltily.

"Hey, 'Bee I have a surprise for you," Sam said. "You can come out now!" he yelled.

Out of the woods emerged Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Ratchet. Happiness welled up inside of Bumblebee's spark. He couldn't speak.

"Bumblebee," Ironhide growled, "I am glad to see that you haven't been worn out by these humans."

"Hey!" Ron and Judy said indignantly.

"It was hard keeping this a secret," Sam said. "I thought it would be a nice surprise." Bumblebee nodded in agreement.

Later Ron showed off his "cooking" skills to the Autobots, all of whom were impressed. Ron had found an old stone quarry where they would set off the fireworks. They all waited for the sun to set. Sam sat with the Autobots but none of them talked but it was not an uncomfortable silence. Merely sitting in each other's presence was more than enough.

"It's time!" Ron called out happily. They all gathered around him watching as he eagerly pulled out the fireworks. "Time to start celebrating!"

"I must admit, I do not understand," Ratchet suddenly said.

"That's a first," Ironhide muttered.

Ratchet glared at him before continuing. "You light these explosives to celebrate your independence."

"Yes," Ron said carefully.

"You celebrate the independence of your country by blowing up a small piece of it?" Ron opened his mouth to respond only to close it. "See? It does not make sense."

"Who doesn't like explosions?" Ironhide interjected, coming to the human's rescue. The cannons on his arms lit up excitedly. "The bigger the better."

"We each celebrate in our own unique ways," Optimus added, smiling. "If this is how you choose to celebrate it is perfectly fine."

"Yeah!" Ron said gratefully. Ratchet merely shrugged.

Ron lit the first firework and it exploded into a shower of green and red sparks. Ron cheered in amazement. "Again, but the next one has to be bigger and brighter!"

"My dad, the pyromaniac," Sam said, shaking his head.

They spent the rest of the night was spent watching multicolored explosions.


	10. Decisions

Decisions

Bumblebee treaded cautiously, carefully trying to avoid waking his human charges. Sam and his parents had retired into the house to sleep after their Independence Day celebration was over. The Autobots couldn't truly understand the emotion behind the holiday but they had enjoyed watching the fireworks, Ironhide especially. After noticing the disappointment on Ron Witwicky's face after the last firework had sizzled out, Ironhide had fired a small missile from one of the cannons on his arm. The resulting explosion had been spectacular, although it temporarily blinded the humans. Optimus wasn't amused but the cheers from Ron and Sam convinced him that no harm was done.

Bumblebee slowly advanced into the forest, doing his best to avoid making too much noise. He arrived into a small clearing. The blue optics of the other Autobots stared back at him.

"Bumblebee, 'bout time he showed up," Ironhide growled. Bumblebee responded with several clicks of annoyance.

"Yes, I can now fully examine his functions," Ratchet replied. He raised his arm and fired a red beam at Bumblebee's vocal processors. Bumblebee squeaked and grabbed for his throat.

"Ratchet, I hate it when you do that!" Ratchet responded by giving Bumblebee a look so severe, Bumblebee was afraid the doctor's systems would overheat from annoyance. The Autobot sighed and allowed Ratchet to finish his work.

"All of your systems check out Bumblebee. Your repaired legs work better than I had anticipated. I am still worried about you vocal processors. I managed to fix them, but I do not know if it will be permanent. If we were on Cybertron I could easily fix the problem, but since we are not…"

"We will worry about that if it comes to it. We might never need to worry about it," Bumblebee replied. Ratchet nodded, though it was clear that he was still worried.

"How does Sam do emotionally?" Optimus asked.

"Good," Bumblebee replied, "although I have noticed that he has bad dreams every once and awhile. He does seem most happy whenever Mikaela is around."

"Good, it is important that he tries to live a normal life. Does he know how much danger he is in?"

"I don't think he fully understands. Speaking of danger…"

"The Decepticons on this planet are few and scattered," Ratchet said.

"We know the Decepticon punk Starscream has left the planet," Ironhide added.

"There is no reason of course to believe that he won't return," Optimus replied. "The Decepticons will want to take revenge on this planet."

"Don't know why," Ironhide replied, "Megatron snuffing it was probably the best thing to happen to Starscream. We all know he only groveled to Megatron in order to gain power."

"Yes, but I sensed that Megatron served a power that was greater than himself," Optimus muttered. "We did not have enough power to defeat Megatron."

"Megatron was entombed in ice for many years," Ratchet said reasonably, "He was not traversing the universe like we were. He was 'resting' for lack of a better word."

"Hmm…" Optimus replied. The Autobots fell into silence. "We should return to the humans," Optimus said, breaking the silence. The other Autobots nodded.

***

The next day Sam and his family prepared to return to their house. Bumblebee gave the other Autobots a heartfelt goodbye. As they watched the other Autobots retreat into the woods Sam felt that he had to say something.

"You know, you could go with them. You don't need to stay here with me. All of you could be hunting Decepticons. Surely that is more fun than staying here with me?"

Bumblebee blinked at the young human. "I want to stay with my friend," he said simply, "my _best _friend." Sam's lower lip trembled and he nodded to the Autobot, to overcome with emotion to respond.

The group began the journey home, taking to the highway as the humans called it. Halfway through the journey home Bumblebee spoke.

"Sam, friends do things for each other right?"

"Sure."

"I need to be washed. This journey has gotten dust all over my paint. I am filthy."

"I'll wash you when I get home."

"There is a carwash that a group of humans set up a few miles from here. They are trying to raise money for an event. We should go there."

"I don't want to pay money for something I can do for free."

"Well, if you wait until we get home," Bumblebee replied, choosing his words carefully, "everyone will see that you drive a dirty car. It might damage your reputation…"

Bumblebee had said the magic words. Sam eyes had gotten wide and he sat up perfectly straight in his seat. "You're right! Get to that car wash!"

As they got closer to their destination they saw carwash signs along the highway.

"Bumblebee," Sam said in an odd voice. "You didn't tell me who would be washing you."

"Is it a problem?"

"No, not at all," Sam replied in a dreamy voice. They took an exit and emerged into a small city. Bumblebee followed the signs that told where the carwash was. He entered into a line of cars that were waiting to be washed. Sam nervously checked his reflection in the rearview mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair than peered out the window.

The line moved quickly and soon it was Bumblebee's turn to be washed. One of the washers approached Sam. She was a human female around Sam's age. What Bumblebee found interesting about her was the fact that she wore very little clothing. Small pieces of cloth had been tied around her chest and the area where her legs joined her body. Sam shifted in his seat and without scanning the boy Bumblebee sensed that his pheromone levels were wild. Bumblebee thought back to that fateful night when Sam had met the Autobots and concluded what Ratchet had concluded; Sam wanted to mate with this female.

"Hey, baby," the bikini clad girl said. "You want us to wash your car?"

"Yeah you can wash me, I mean wash the car," Sam stuttered.

"It will be five dollars," the girl said. "All the money goes to the football team. We are trying to raise enough money to send them to the state finals."

"That's great," Sam replied, smiling stupidly. Bumblebee doubted Sam heard a word the girl said. The girl motioned and about twenty other girls that were dressed like her ran over to Bumblebee and Sam, carrying with them several buckets of soapy water. Sam turned bright red as the girls went to work. Bumblebee was pleased. The girls did an excellent job cleaning him. They even made sure they got his roof. Sam had turned even redder at this point, a feat that Bumblebee hadn't thought possible.

The girls worked quickly and efficiently. Bumblebee was soon gleaming in the sun. In less than ten minutes the girl who had spoken to Sam returned for payment.

"Here you go," Sam said, handing her five dollars, "plus a little extra for doing an excellent job." This time twenty dollars was handed over.

"Thanks," the girl said, and she leaned over and kissed Sam lightly on the cheek. Sam once again turned red and Bumblebee drove away.

Bumblebee got back onto the highway. Sam just sat silently, his hand pressed to his cheek where the girl had kissed him.

"Bumblebee, since we are friends you have to do something for me," Sam said suddenly.

"What?"

"You're a guy right? Well, if you were human I think you would be a guy. Now friends, who are guys, have something called 'guy time.' This is something that they do together that they don't tell their girlfriends exactly what they did. We just had guy time."

"So we don't tell Mikaela I was washed?"

"No, we do. We just tell her that a bunch of hairy old men did it."

"I see." Bumblebee would have smiled if his current form had a mouth. Guy time. He liked it.


	11. Racing Stripes

Racing Stripes

Bumblebee paused. He stared around at his surroundings. Someone was stalking him. He could feel its eyes upon him. Bumblebee took a few more steps before he stopped again. Sticks and branches snapped as the creature came towards him. Then with a ferocious howl the creature attacked. It tore across the Witwicky backyard and ran straight at Bumblebee.

Bumblebee stared down at the annoying creature. The little dog stared back.

"Go away," Bumblebee ordered. The dog didn't move. "Leave me alone." The dog barked angrily. "Not so loud!" A louder bark was the response. "Bad Mojo," Bumblebee scolded. Mojo responded with another bark. He then ran forward and bit Bumblebee's foot.

Bumblebee stared down in disgust. He doubted that he would ever like the little creature. Ironhide had been right about it. He raised his foot above the dog and prepared to squish it.

"Oh my God!" a voice screamed. Bumblebee froze. Judy was running across the yard, Sam right behind her. "My baby! My precious little baby!" She scooped Mojo up into her arms. "Did the mean robot scare you?" she whispered to the little dog. "You scared him," she added accusingly to Bumblebee. Mojo barked, almost like he was trying to confirm Judy's statement.

Bumblebee scowled. He glanced at Sam who was making wild motions with his hands. Understanding what the boy wanted Bumblebee lowered his foot. Judy retreated back to the house still clutching Mojo in her arms. The dog stared at Bumblebee over Judy's shoulder. He gave one final bark of disapproval before disappearing into the house.

"What were you doing 'Bee?" Sam asked. Bumblebee looked away guiltily. "Mojo is our pet. We love him."

"He bit me," Bumblebee muttered, trying to explain to Sam what had happened. "He's annoying. He always barks at me, bites me, stares at me…"

"He's just territorial. Plus I think he is insecure with himself. Mom dresses him up like a princess. That can't be good for any male."

"I suppose," Bumblebee said doubtfully.

"I'm sure Mojo will take to you eventually. Mom and dad did." Bumblebee nodded but he still doubted the dog would ever like him. "C'mon," Sam said, "I know what we can today."

"Guy time?" Bumblebee asked hopefully. Sam nodded, smiling.

Bumblebee transformed and Sam hopped in. Sam gave him directions to the place he wanted them to go. Bumblebee drove to the outskirts of town. He emerged onto a long road. Over a dozen cars were parked in the middle of the road. A bunch of human males and a few females stood around the cars. They all turned and watched Bumblebee and Sam pull up.

"What do you want kid?" a big man asked.

"I'm here to race," Sam said calmly.

"You have a sweet ride," someone said, "but I don't think a pretty boy like you can handle that car." Snickers followed this comment.

"Don't worry," Sam said, "my car won't fail me." He patted Bumblebee's dashboard fondly. Bumblebee rumbled his engine in response. Everyone gave Sam and Bumblebee an odd look.

"Fine," the big man said shrugging. "Your funeral." Sam and Bumblebee took their places. Several cars took down the road ahead of them. Bumblebee watched them.

"Sam, you know I can beat all of these cars in a race."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, is it fair?"

"Totally. We will be cool. Don't you want to be cool?" Bumblebee pondered the question. Being cool would have been Jazz's desire. But Jazz had now been dead for several weeks. "Let's do this 'Bee," Sam said softly.

"Kid, why the hell are ya talking to the car?" someone yelled. "Your dumb car can't respond." Bumblebee responded by pulling forward. He would show them a 'dumb car.' A slick silver car pulled up alongside them. The driver sneered out at Sam. A man waved his arms and Bumblebee exploded forward. Bumblebee went from zero miles per hour to over one hundred in a mere second. Sam screamed in surprise as he was thrown backwards. The spectators stood with their mouths hanging open in surprise. Bumblebee completed the race before the car that he was racing against had even started moving at a decent speed. So much for a 'dumb car' the Autobot thought.

"Bumblebee," Sam said hoarsely.

"Sorry Sam, I got a little excited."

"A little, is that all?" Sam replied.

"Well, I would say that we were very cool." Everyone else seemed to think so. Their mouths were still hanging open. They gazed at Sam with respect and with reverence at Bumblebee. The Autobot rumbled his engine as he approached the humans again. They all gasped but then nodded in appreciation. No more dumb car thoughts.

Bumblebee easily annihilated the rest of the competition. Everyone was gathered around Bumblebee, all wanting to admire the winning car.

"Awesome job kid," someone said.

"Your car had definitely has earned its racing stripes," someone else added. Sam nodded and patted Bumblebee's dashboard. Bumblebee rumbled his engine and the humans scattered. He raced down the street, heading back to the Witwicky home.

***

Bumblebee and Sam entered the Witwicky garage. After Sam had exited, Bumblebee transformed out of car mode.

"Way to go, we were definitely cool," Sam said. Bumblebee nodded his head enthusiastically. The door to the garage creaked opened. Sam and Bumblebee turned and saw two brown eyes staring at them. Mojo stuck his head into the garage and barked at Bumblebee. The Autobot had a surprise waiting for the dog. He had recorded Mojo's bark and played it back to the dog. Mojo froze, his eyes wide with shock, and then ran out of the garage as fast as his little legs could go.

"I think Mojo just earned his racing stripes," Bumblebee said chuckling. Sam looked shocked at first but then started chuckling as well.


	12. A Prime Meeting

Sorry for the long update wait. This last semester of college took a lot out of me and I barely had any free time that wasn't devoted to sleeping. So, I'm back again and ready to start writing once more. Hopefully you will enjoy what's coming up.

A Prime Meeting

Sam rolled over onto his side and allowed a huge yawn to escape from himself. He glanced lazily at his clock and saw that it was almost noon. Only the blissful summer vacation could allow him to sleep in so late. Grinning, Sam slowly stretched before jumping out of bed. He glanced at his dishelveled appearance in the mirror and decided that he didn't care about looking nice today. He grabbed some dirty clothes off the floor and put them and headed downstairs.

"Good morning everyone!" Sam announced brightly once he entered the living room. His parents were watching a romance movie. Judy was wiping tears of emotion from her eyes. Ron looked like he wished he could be anywhere else in the world.

"Sam, your hair looks terrible!" Judy exclaimed when she saw him.

"It's a new look mom. You know, it's a kid thing."

"Looking like a bum?" Ron snickered.

"Yeah, sure," Sam said defensively.

"That _thing _was looking for you earlier," Judy said.

"You mean 'Bee? What did he want?" Judy and Ron merely shrugged. "I'll go see what he wanted then."

"I'll come with you!" Ron said brightly.

"No you don't mister," Judy said grabbing him. "A little romance won't kill you."

"Judy, I hate romance flicks. I don't want to stay here." Judy's eyebrows rose so far that they nearly disappeared into her hair. "Fine, I'll stay. I meant to say I _love _romance." Sam chuckled then ran out of the room. He wondered what the Autobot wanted. At least Bumblebee wasn't peering into his bedroom window anymore. It was unnerving to wake up and find a giant robot staring in at you.

Bumblebee was waiting for Sam in the backyard. Mojo was in his doghouse hiding. He still hadn't forgiven Bumblebee for scaring him even though the incident had occurred over a week ago. Only his big brown eyes could be seen staring out.

"Sam I am so glad that you are finally awake," Bumblebee said, sounding relieved. "It never ceases to amaze me how much you sleep."

"It's not amazing. I spent the last ten months toiling away at school. I need to prepare myself for the return of school slavery."

"If you say so. I want to go and see the other Autobots. I will be gone for a couple of days."

"Great. Have fun 'Bee. You deserve it. I'll be fine without you."

"Sam, you are aware that I can't leave you alone."

"Bumblebee, you know I can't come with you. Mom would never let me go to a military base to hang out."

"I know. I was able to arrange a temporary guardian. He is waiting for you in the driveway."

"What? Who is it?" Sam raced to the front of the house before Bumblebee could answer. Gleaming in the driveway was a massive truck that had flames painted on its sides. "Oh no, oh no," Sam muttered. He ran back to Bumblebee. "Optimus is here!"

"Yes. I thought you would be pleased."

"It's Optimus!"

"Yes…" Bumblebee said, wondering why Sam could not process this. "Are you not pleased?"

"It's Optimus!" Sam exclaimed once more.

"I thought you liked Optimus," Bumblebee said carefully.

"I do but he's _the _Optimus! He has better things to do then guard a measly human like me."

"Optimus does not mind. You forget that we all, Optimus included, owe you our lives. The fact that Optimus, an Autobot that is respected and admired by many, an Autobot that makes the sparks of many Decepticon tremble with fear, owes so much to one who is so young. This a great honor that has been bestowed upon you. No one else can claim this honor." Sam blushed with embarrassment. "I must go now. Go and see Optimus. Goodbye Sam." Without another word Bumblebee walked to the edge of the driveway and transformed into his car mode. He sped past Optimus, entered onto the street and disappeared out of sight.

Sam slowly approached the waiting truck. He was painfully aware of his dirty clothes and untidy hair. He was meeting with the Autobot equivalent of a world leader and looked exactly what Ron said he looked like: a bum. Sam suddenly felt like his hands and feet were oversized. He thought he must look like an idiot with his arms swinging at his sides. He probably looked like an overgrown monkey. Sam tried to stiffen his body but immediately regretted it. He immediately felt like a windup toy and soon tripped over his own feet causing him to blush once more.

The passenger side door slowly swung open and Sam scrambled into the truck. He twisted in his seat to grab his seatbelt. When he turned forward and cried out in surprise.

A young handsome man was sitting in the previously empty driver seat. He had shockingly bright blue eyes. He had slightly curly brown hair that fell to his shoulders. A light beard hid most of his face. He wore blue jeans and a checkered red shirt. What fascinated Sam the most was the man's face. Wisdom and kindness was reflected there but there was also pain and suffering. Sam could only sit and stare.

"We discovered most humans get distressed when they see a vehicle driving itself so we created holograms that imitate drivers. Do you like mine?"

"I… yes I do," Sam answered. "You look very, um, nice. Is that what you think you would look like if you were human?" The hologram nodded. "Well, you better stay away from girls. They would be all over you in seconds because you are one fine looking dude." The hologram stared blankly at him and Sam wondered if he had gone to far. He fumbled with his seatbelt then stared determinedly out the window. Optimus slowly backed out into the street and headed down the road. An awkward silence settled in the cabin of the truck.

"Bumblebee has told me about the many adventures you have had," Optimus said suddenly. "He seems to really enjoy them."

"Oh, well, I don't know. I bet Bumblebee has done many more exciting things then what we do."

"You might be surprised to find that is not necessarily true. Do you have any adventures planned right now?"

"No, we just take each day as it comes."

"Perhaps we can find an adventure?" Sam stared in surprise. He tried to figure out if he had imagined the hopefulness coming from the Autobot's voice or if it had been really there.

"Sure we can look," Sam said. "Don't know if we will actually find one though."

"Let's look anyway," Optimus replied. "I believe I know a place where we can go."

"Where?" Sam asked, curiosity in his voice.

"You shall see," Optimus replied. "I do not want to ruin the surprise for you." Sam groaned but accepted it. The truck sped down a highway, anticipation in the air.


	13. Patience

Patience

Optimus sped down the highway leading out of town. Sam stared out the window trying to see where the Autobot could possibly be taking him. He glanced over at truck dashboard and gasped when he saw how fast the truck was traveling.

"Sam?" Optimus asked.

"Do you know how fast you are going?"

"Yes. Is it not fast enough?"

"You're going twice the speed limit."

"I do not understand what the problem is. There are few cars around."

"Ever heard of cops?" Sam asked. "They give out things called tickets. Tickets are very bad. Get enough tickets and they take away your driver's license. No license means no driving cars. No car means no girl and that's very bad. It's worse than a death sentence for guys."

"I see," Optimus said. He did not truly understand the logic behind Sam's statements but they were obviously important to the boy. He considerably lowered his speed and Sam relaxed in his seat.

"So where are we going?" Sam asked casually.

"Wait and see. Patience-"

"Is a virtue which I don't possess," Sam finished. The Optimus hologram turned its head and looked at him. "All right fine but if you think this is being impatient you should have seen me on every Christmas day when I was little. I would wake at four in the morning to see what Santa Claus brought me. Mon and dad weren't amused."

Optimus was silent as he accessed the worldwide web for information on Santa Claus. "Santa Claus is not real," he said finally. "He could not leave presents."

"Well, it was my parents. They would wait until I eventually fell asleep and then they would put out the presents. I would think that Santa had come in the middle of the night and left them. It's all a diabolical scheme that parents put on to make sure their kids are good during the year. Good kids get presents, bad kids don't."

"When did you figure out the truth?" Optimus asked.

"When I was eleven. Figured it out from kids and school and on my own. It didn't help when dad told me that if you rearrange the letters in Santa you get Satan. You know the devil."

"Odd human custom," Optimus murmured.

"You don't do things like Santa?" Sam asked.

"No. My race has nothing like that." Sam suddenly laughed. "What is it?"

"You don't know how weird it is to being talking about Santa with an alien robot," Sam said, giggling. "It's crazy."

"I certainly never thought I would be having a conversation about a figure that breaks into someone's dwelling to leave presents," Optimus replied. Sam laughed even harder and the Optimus hologram smiled. Optimus exited off the highway and was now traveling down a deserted road that wound its way through barren hills. Optimus drove for another ten miles before pulling over to the side of the road. "This is the end of the road," he announced.

"What do you mean? It keeps going," Sam said, pointing out the windshield.

"I meant from here we walk until we reach our destination."

"Oh, I knew that," Sam replied, blushing slightly. He hopped out of the truck and Optimus transformed. "Um, what if someone sees you?"

"Few humans travel this road. Where we are going no humans travel at all." Optimus knelt down and extended his hand. "Up you get," he said. Sam scrambled onto it and Optimus raised the boy to his shoulder where Sam found a place to sit. "Hold on tight." The Autobot began to run through the hills kicking up dust clouds as he did.

"Please don't trip and fall," Sam yelled, laughing with joy and terror. "If you do I am so totally dead." Optimus ran for twenty minutes before slowing into a walk.

"Our destination is just around this hill," Optimus said. He stopped and lowered Sam back to the ground. Sam hurried around the hill. His mouth fell open when he saw what was there.

"Wow, Optimus!" It was an abandoned mining town. The mine entrance was near a hill a hundred feet away. The buildings were all still in excellent condition, preserved by the dry air. There was an old theater, and an old saloon. Houses and inns were clustered near the edge of the town. It was easy to imagine miners once roaming the town.

"This town was once called Lucky Finds," Optimus said. "In the late nineteenth century miners found gold here. Unfortunately for the hundreds of miners who came here few found more gold. The mine was shut down nearly eighty years ago and the town was abandoned."

"How did you know about this place?" Sam asked, still gazing at the buildings.

"This is one of the places we considered landing when we came to Earth." Optimus wandered into the town and Sam hurried after him. It would have been a strange sight to behold; a young man running from building to building, peering in through the dirty windows to see what lay inside, accompanied by an advanced alien robot who acted as his tour guide. They found old horse saddles, clothes, and old mining equipment. They explored every inch of the town until only the saloon was left.

Sam gently pushed open the doors that led into the saloon. Inside many of the tables still had glasses on top of them. Sam wandered over to the dusty piano in a corner and was delighted to find that it still played. He wandered back outside to Optimus.

"I have one other destination that we can go," Optimus said. "It will take awhile to get there and since you slept so late it will be nighttime once we arrive."

"That's fine. If it's anything like this place I can wait. Patience is a virtue which I have!"

"Let's roll out," Optimus said, his optics shining brightly. Sam scrambled back onto his shoulder and the duo headed out on their next adventure.


	14. Perspective

Perspective

Optimus kept driving as darkness fell. Sam had kept his promise about being patient. In order to pass the time Optimus had asked Sam to tell him stories of his childhood. Sam did, feeling self centered as he did so. Optimus seemed fascinated by the stories, continuously asking for more details no matter how trivial they were. Sam was aware that he was exposing his life story to Optimus and felt slightly awkward. He knew next to nothing about the Autobot leader except for the fact that he had been fighting Decepticons for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. Despite all of the questions swarming around in his brain, Sam asked none of them. Optimus was the kind of guy, or robot, who would talk about himself only when he wanted to.

"We are almost there," Optimus said, filling the silence that had fallen after Sam's last story. "This place is not as exciting as the abandoned town but I believe it holds special meaning for both of us." Optimus drove to a field and Sam realized that it was the same field that he and Mikaela had seen Optimus crash into the night the Autobot came to Earth. The vegetation was still burnt and there was still a crater in the ground. Optimus opened the passenger door and Sam exited. Optimus transformed and followed Sam out into the field.

"You made a mess of the place when you landed," Sam said.

"The others made a bigger mess."

"I saw," Sam said darkly. He looked at Optimus and saw that the Autobot was looking up at the sky. "You like star watching?"

"Yes. It puts into perspective how small and insignificant we are. It is humbling."

"I've always liked astronomy," Sam said suddenly. "Something about the stars and planets always fascinated me. I always wanted to be an astronaut and travel through space. 'Course you know what that is like."

"Yes. Out of all the solar systems I have visited yours has been a favorite. Many of your planets are quite beautiful. My favorite is Saturn."

"Mine too!" Sam exclaimed, happy that he actually did have something in common with Optimus.

"Do you see that cluster of stars?" Optimus asked, gesturing to the sky.

"Those ones?" Sam asked pointing.

"No, more to the right. Yes, those stars. Cybertron lies just beyond them."

"Wow," Sam said softly. "What's it like?"

"With the All Spark gone only death and destruction remain. At one time Cybertron was as beautiful as this planet. Life was everywhere. Millions of my kind roamed Cybertron. We had peace and all enjoyed life. That is the Cybertron I prefer to remember."

"I'm sorry Optimus," Sam whispered. "It's all my fault."

"What is?"  
"Cybertron being dead. When I destroyed the All Spark I sentenced your race and Cybertron to death. You could have restored it and now you can't because of me." Sam realized he was on the verge of tears. "I just realized that. You and the others probably hate me."

"Sam, you forget that I wanted the All Spark destroyed," Optimus said softly. "We had no right to fight our war on your planet. I brought our war to the universe when I sent the All Spark into space. There would have been more death if the All Spark had been allowed to survive. You saved your planet and the universe from a terrible fate when you threw the All Spark into Megatron's spark." Optimus paused. "You also saved me. All Autobots would rather have the All Spark destroyed then let it fall into the clutches of Megatron and the Decepticons. Feel no shame for your actions."

"Thank you," Sam said hoarsely, dabbing at his eyes. "Ugh, there is something out here that I must be allergic to. My eyes won't stop watering."

"Yes, that must be it," Optimus said, softly. "It's getting late Sam. I do not want your parents to worry about where you are. I know how protective your mother is of you."

"Yeah, mom might come after you with something more deadly than a broom," Sam said. "Something like a rake or maybe a flamethrower…" Optimus nodded in agreement.

Optimus drove back to the house and parked behind the garage. Sam raced across the yard as fast as he could towards it, hoping he could get inside before his parents realized he wasn't there. He knew that he was past his curfew but he didn't tell Optimus. He didn't want Optimus going down the neighborhood at breakneck speed.

"Nice job staying off my lawn," a voice called. Sam looked and saw Ron and Judy sitting in lawn chairs with wine glasses in their hands.

"Oh, hi dad!" Sam yelled, jumping onto the rock path that wound its way through the yard. "How are you handsome man? Mom you look beautiful tonight," he added, trying to flatter his way out of trouble.

"Your nine minutes past your curfew," Judy said. "That means your father will have to ground you." Ron grimaced at Sam and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Sam hung his head sadly.

"What were you and Bumblebee doing anyway?" Ron asked. "You were gone all day."

"I wasn't with Bumblebee," Sam said. "He's taking a little vacation." Ron opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. His was gazing past Sam at the garage with his mouth still hanging open. A large humanoid shape with glowing blue eyes was heading towards them. "I was with Optimus," Sam added, gesturing to the large Autobot who was now walking across the grass.

"Hello Mr. Witwicky and Mrs. Witwicky," Optimus said politely. "Are you having a pleasant evening?" There was no answer. Judy was holding her wine glass at an odd angle, apparently preparing to throw it at Optimus. Ron's mouth was still hanging open. Sam groaned in embarrassment. "I overheard your conversation with Sam," Optimus continued. "I miscalculated how long he would be with me. His lateness is due to me. Please do not punish him for something that was not his fault."

"I… that's….ok," Ron stammered. He was now gazing at the Autobot's feet. "My lawn," he said feebly, "my precious yard." Optimus raised a foot and they all saw that there was no damage.

"I am using extra caution," Optimus said, lowering his foot back to the ground. "What happened the first night I came here will not happen again."

"Good!" Ron and Judy said at the same time.

"I'm tired so I'm going to bed. Goodnight," Sam said to his parents. "Goodnight Optimus."

"Goodnight Sam. I hope that you enjoyed our adventure as much as I did."Sam smiled and nodded. He once again began heading towards the house.

"My lawn Sam!" Sam groaned and jumped back onto the rock path. When he got to his room he peered out his window. Optimus was still out there and was kneeling down. He appeared to be talking to Ron and Judy. Sam grinned. A giant alien robot was talking to his parents and they weren't freaking out. It really brought into perspective how much the Autobot's had changed his family's life. Sam was still grinning when he fell asleep.


	15. Parents

Parents

Optimus, Ron, and Judy watched Sam walking back towards the house.

"My lawn Sam!" Ron yelled. They all heard Sam groan as he jumped back onto the rock path. "Why can't that boy stay off my lawn?" Ron asked as Sam retreated into the house. "Kids these days don't understand how important lawns are."

"He will someday," Judy said. "Remember he once thought Archibald was insane."

"Well _I _always knew he wasn't insane," Ron replied, glancing at Optimus who blinked in reply.

"What adventure did you and Sam have?" Judy asked suspiciously.

"We went to an abandoned mining town."

"Abandoned," Judy repeated, looking horrified. "What if Sam had fallen in a hole and couldn't get out? What if the mine had collapsed and he was buried alive? What if a rock had fallen on his head and cracked it open? What if-"

"We never went into the mine," Optimus said quickly. "Sam was never in any danger."

"Which mining town did you go to?" Ron asked.

"Lucky Finds."

"I think my great uncle worked there," Ron said. "He claimed that a leprechaun lived in the mine and that it was out to get him. He then collapsed a section of the mine to trap the leprechaun. Then they threw him in the mad house," he finished sadly. "Any of you guys look like leprechauns?" he asked Optimus hopefully.

"No. Your great uncle's insanity was not caused by my kind," Optimus said gently.

"Oh," Ron said looking down at his wineglass. "I need more wine after hearing that. Judy will you hold my glass?"

"You know how I get when I have a little wine," Judy said. She waved her arms around imitating unsteadiness. "Whoops!" she said cheerfully when a little wine splashed out of the glass.

"Can you help a fellow out?" Ron asked, holding his wineglass out to Optimus. The Autobot knelt down and took the wineglass between two metal fingers. Ron reached under his chair and grabbed the wine bottle. He poured himself more wine. "So why you?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you watching Sam while Bumblebee is gone? Why not Hatchet?"

"His name is Ratchet," Optimus corrected.

"Or why not Ironskin?"

"It's Ironhide."

"Well?"

Optimus didn't answer as he handed the wineglass back to Ron. His optics shifted back and forth from Ron to Judy as he regarded them. "Sam saved my life," he said simply. "I am aware that I owe him much." Optimus lowered his head and stared at the ground. "I do not take lightly what Sam nearly sacrificed in order to save us all from Megatron. Trying to give him what humans call 'a good time' is the least I can do." Ron and Judy didn't know what to say.

"So," Ron said, trying to find something to talk about, "how do you like living on Earth?"

"It is a pleasant planet. A good place to call home," Optimus replied. His optics seemed to dim. "I did not imagine we would have to constantly hide our existence and true forms. I thought we could finally be free again," he murmured.

Ron and Judy looked at each other. "I'm sorry," Ron said awkwardly as Judy nodded sadly in agreement. Optimus looked startled.

"I did not mean for you to hear that."

"I can pretend I didn't if you want."

"It doesn't matter if you did."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Ron said brightly. Optimus tilted his head slightly as he regarded the human in front of him. "Well, I'm off to bed."

"He needs his beauty sleep," Judy said, winking at Optimus.

"Come on Judy," Ron said reaching for her hand.

"When he was younger he got beauty and handsome sleep," Judy informed Optimus. "He was very good looking. I couldn't keep my hands off of him," she added grinning mischievously.

"Way to much information Judy," Ron said, trying to steer his wife into the house. She pulled free of him.

"Race you to the house!" she cried. She trotted towards the house, swaying as she did. "I win!" she called out triumphantly before disappearing into the house.

"Sorry about that," Ron mumbled as he picked up the wineglasses and wine bottle. "She gets a little funny if she's had wine."

"I understand," Optimus replied.

"Goodnight Optimus," Ron said, gazing at the still kneeling Autobot. "Thanks for watching out for Sam." He paused. "He's a good kid."

"Yes he is." Ron nodded and waved goodnight to Optimus before disappearing into the house. "He also has good parents," Optimus murmured. He paused. "Odd, but good nonetheless." The Autobot slowly rose to his full height and walked to the garage where he would watch over the Witwickys all night.


	16. Family Memories

Family Memories

Sam was awake but he was unwilling to get out of bed. He opened a bleary eye and saw that it was just after ten in the morning. He groaned into his pillow. Being awake this early on a summer day was a new record for him. He tried to go back to sleep but it was impossible. He had never noticed before how much noise the chirping birds made. He lay there with his face screw up in concentration, trying to will the birds into silence with his mind. It didn't work. The birds seemed to get even louder.

"So much for me being a psychic, or whatever they call themselves," Sam muttered. A new sound joined the chirping. Mojo was barking angrily at something. There was a whirling sound that was caused by metal being arranged. This was followed by a loud crash. Sam nearly fell out of bed in surprise.

"Optimus!" Sam gasped. He jumped out of bed, got his feet tangled up in the blanket and nearly fell over. He managed to make it halfway across his room before he finally fell. He stepped on a book that was lying on the ground and lost his balance and fell to the floor. Sam jumped to his feet swearing under his breath. He ran out of his room and down the stairs. The source of the commotion was clear when Sam ran into the backyard.

Optimus and Mojo were standing side by side looking at something that was lying on the ground. Sam approached the pair and saw that the thing on the ground was a big piece of black metal.

"What's going on?"

"Sam," Optimus said nervously.

"What's," Sam began again. "Wait," he said pausing, gazing at the black metal. "Oh man, is that dad's grill?" Optimus winced. "Oh man, dude, you're in trouble."

"It was an accident," Optimus replied. He glanced down at Mojo. "This creature appeared out of nowhere and ran at me. I would have stepped on it but managed to avoid it. My actions then caused my foot to collide with the grill." Mojo barked in agreement.

"Well let's take a look at it." Sam walked up to the grill and began to examine it. Optimus hurried forward to help, Mojo right behind him. Sam tried to turn the grill upright but couldn't. He glanced at Optimus who completed the task with one finger. Sam circled the grill examining it.

"Is it damaged?" Optimus asked.

"No, you lucked out."

"Good. I would not desire having to tell your parents that more of their property was destroyed."

"Yeah, that would be bad. Plus it's a good thing our neighbors are completely oblivious to what goes on at my house." Sam glanced down at himself. "Um, once I get out of my pajamas, what do you think we should do today?"

"Hey!" a female voice shouted. Sam and Optimus turned towards the house and saw Judy running at them. "Where do you think you are going young man?" she asked Sam sternly.

"No where mom," Sam replied. "We were just figuring out what we are going to do today," he added, gesturing to himself and Optimus.

"I know what you can do. I'll bring it out!" Judy turned and began to run back to the house. Mojo barked at Optimus then ran after Judy.

"No mom!" Sam cried desperately. "You promised me you wouldn't do this anymore!"

"Sam?" Optimus asked questioningly. Sam only groaned in embarrassment. Optimus soon got his answer. Judy was hurrying towards them with her arms full of gigantic books. She set them down on the ground. Optimus focused on the top book and saw that it read Family Memories in fancy cursive script.

"Check this out Robot Man," she told Optimus. She opened the album and held it against her chest so that the photographs were facing out. She pointed to a picture. "This is Sammy when he was a month old." Optimus knelt down for a closer look. A baby boy was wrapped in a blue blanket and was sleeping. "And this is a picture of Sam when he was three. He was having a temper tantrum." The boy in the picture had wild hair and was apparently throwing his food at a wall. "Here he is eating ice cream. A few seconds later he dropped it and cried nonstop until we got him some more." A trio of pictures showed a young Sam holding an ice cream cone, the ice cream lying on the ground as Sam cried, and the last showed Sam happily holding another ice cream cone.

"Ok," Sam said. "Enough of the embarrassing pictures mom."

"Wasn't he cute?" Judy asked Optimus, ignoring Sam's comment.

"Yes, he was very cute," Optimus agreed. Sam groaned.

"Oh, here's one where he went on his first amusement park ride," Judy said pointing to another picture. She continued through the photo album and when she finished, went on to the next one. Sam nearly fainted in embarrassment when the photos of him being toilet trained were shown to Optimus. Judy seemed to enjoy showing off the pictures of her son. It was clear that Optimus was amused by the photos. His optics were shining brightly and he seemed on the verge of smiling.

"Well that's the last of them," Judy said. Sam sighed in relief. "We can look at the family videos next."

"No, no, no," Sam said, his face bright red. "Those are even worse! No more amusement at my expense."

"Let's not embarrass Sam anymore," Optimus said. Sam nodded and smiled gratefully at the Autobot. "We can continue tonight with the videos. Gives the boy a chance to recover." Sam scowled at Optimus.

"Good idea," Judy agreed. "Have fun today you two." She gathered the photo albums into her arms and returned to the house. Sam only stood there scowling at Optimus.

"I am sorry Sam," Optimus said. He sounded like he meant it but his optics were still shining brightly. "It seemed very important to your mother to let her show me what she did."

"What was all that about giving me a chance to recover?" Sam retorted.

"Simply an idea that would allow you to recover from embarrassment." Sam continued to stand there and scowl. Optimus sighed before adding, "The photo albums and the family videos will help me to understand your life in a way the stories you told me never will. Look at the situation from that point of view."

Sam sighed. "All right. I can do that. I'll go get dressed in something else besides my pajamas so we can do something." He started to walk back to his house but paused. "Answer one thing first. You found those pictures amusing didn't you?"

"Yes I did," Optimus answered truthfully. "They are very amusing." Sam scowled and opened his mouth to reply but Optimus waved him off. As Sam was heading back to his room he saw Judy kneeling in front of a cabinet. Video tapes lay scattered on the floor.

"Not this one," she was muttering. "This one doesn't show enough footage of Sam. This one is better but I don't know about it…" Sam scowled once more but inside he was smiling.


End file.
